Shirley Jean (Jeffres) Looney

Obituary

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at the North Chapel at Fort Richardson. Burial will follow the service at Fort Richardson National Cemetery. A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at Anchorage Funeral Home, 1800 Dare Ave. Mrs. Looney's children, Steven, Ted, Peggy, Tom, Brian and Jim Looney will be pallbearers. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Sterling Senior Center.

Mrs. Looney was born Dec. 5, 1936 in Mobil, Mo. She graduated from Cheyenne High School in 1954 and then attended the University of Wyoming until 1956. She was a military wife and lived at Fort Eielson Air Force Base from 1959 to 1960. She also lived at Fort Wainwright from 1960 to 1962 and 1970-72, then lived at Fort Richardson from 1972 to 1973, 1974-77 and 1981-83.

She was the director of the American Heart Association in Anchorage in 1976 and 1977. After her husband's retirement in 1983, they moved to Pinedale, Wyo., where she was a travel agent from 1984 to 1990. While she and her husband were in Anchorage, she was an election judge. She moved to Sterling in March 2001.

Mrs. Looney was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion. She also was the president of the Fort Wainwright Officer's Wives Club from 1970 to 1972, and editor of the Fort Wainwright Officers Wife's Club Newsletter from 1960 to 1962. She also enjoyed gardening in her greenhouse.

"Shirley Looney will be remembered for four things that matter: her faith, her marriage to her husband, the way she raised her children and the way she shared her talents. Shirley never wavered in her faith in God and was an active member in the church," her family said.

"She was a devoted and loving wife of Col. Robert C. Looney for 47 years and was an essential element in his successful 27-year career in the U.S. Army. Together, Bob and Shirley raised one daughter and five sons, who all graduated from college and are successful professionals in their fields of endeavor.

"Shirley also was generous with her time and talents. She was an officer in the Ladies Auxiliary for both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. In addition, she also was a willing volunteer for numerous organizations, such as the Cub and Boy Scouts, parent-teacher organizations and neighborhood associations. Her children and 15 grandchildren will be a living legacy of her rich and fruitful life."